Mechanism for removing a self-propelled vehicle from mud, snow and the like



F. BOYD MECHANISM FOR REMOVING A SELF-PROPELLED VEHICLE FROM MUD, SNOW AND THE LIKE Filed March 18, 1957 May 12, 1959 INVENT'OR Fk/J/wr aoya,

ATTORNEY This invention relates to -a mechanism for attachment to an immobile self-propelled vehicle so that the vehicle may again become mobile.

The main object of this invention is to provide a mechanism to mobilize: an immobile self-propelled vehicle. As is well known, .self propelled vehicles occasionally become mired in mud, snow. or the like, or otherwise become immobile because of loss of traction of one or more of the driving wheels. Accordingly, another important object of this invention is to provide a simple .mechanism which may be easily attached to a selhpro- United Sta es Patent pelled vehicle and which maybe actuated by the main 5 power plant tolmovean immobile yehicle until the driving :wheels of the vehicle are atforded thenecessar'y p traction.

Anotherobject oflthe invention is to provide a mechanism which will accomplish the above-mentioned 4funct-ion, which mechanism is simple :in construction, may be easily and cheaply manufactured, has relatively few working parts, and which may be :easily handled, .qu'ickly attached to the wehicle'and thereafter quickly removed from the same, by one person.

The distinguishing iteatures of the invention and the important structural elements ,in the preferred embodiment which is given as "an example, will be more particularly explained in thespecific :be given.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the mechanism attached to the vehicle showing the mechanism as it appears when first attached to the vehicle.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side elevational view show ing the mechanism at the completion of its driving stroke, while Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side elevational view showing the mechanism midway between the end of the driving stroke and the start of the subsequent driving stroke.

As seen in Figure 1 reference numeral 10 generally indicates a portion of the side frame of a self-propelled vehicle while reference character 12 generally indicates the traction wheel of the vehicle. Assuming that the vehicle has been mired in mud, snow or the like, or has otherwise become immobile due to loss of traction of one or more of its driving wheels, the mechanism forming the present invention is secured to the frame of the vehicle and to the driving wheel and positioned as shown in Figure 1. Thus, a link 14 is pivotally secured at 16 to the frame 10 in any suitable manner. For instance, the frame 10 may be drilled to provide a suitable aperture therein or therethrough for accommodating the pivotal connection 16. The lower end of the link 14 is pivotally secured as at 18 to an anchor link 20. The lower end of the anchor link 20 may be provided with a suitable ground-engaging spur 22 which is pivotally description hereinafter to.

e 2,886,119 Patented M y connected to theanchor link 20 as shown hy referenoe character '24. t r

A rod 30 has one of its ends pivotally connected to the links 14 and '20, preferably by means of the pivotal connection 18 so that the single pivotal connection secure the lower end of link 14, upper and of anchor link 20 and the forward elmdof '30 together.

The rearward end iof rod SO-is secured to the driving wheel 12 so as to she cccentrically mounted. thereon. "The present invention contemplates the use of a hub plate 32 which may be secured to the driving :wheel 12'by use of the customary .stud bolts although other suitable means of attachment may be employed. The purpose of the hub plate .32 to provide an attaching means for the rod 30 to the driving wheel .12 so that thewertic'al plane of the rod :30 is outwardly :beyond the vertical plane of the tire secured to the driving'wheel. The customary hub cap is removed and thereafter a few of the stud bolts which secure the wheel to the vehicle are removed and the .plate 32 may thereupon be secured :to the wheel :by means .of the stud Thus, the hub plate-32 annular in shape and. is provided with a central aperture i34uso as to accommodate the axle 336 of the vehicle. .A plurality .of-studs 38 are first removed from the wheel and the hub plate 32 is then positioned as shown in Figure v1 after which the studs :38 are again driven into clamping position. It will :be noted that the rearward end of the :rod :30 ,ispivotally tsecured at 40 to :the .hub plate .32, the pivotal connection being adjacent the outer periphery of the hub plate, so that. the rearward end of the rodSll is pivotallyconnectedzto the hub plate eccentrically thereof. Thepivotalcnnnection 40 may be permanently attached to the ,hubplate .32. or may the v data.chahly secured thereto through the use of one of :the stud bolts38. l l I,

When a self-propelled vehicle becomes mired or otherwise immobile because of loss of traction, all that the operator need do is to remove :the customary hublcap, secur link 14 with its pistotallyconnectedanchor :link 2.0, pur .22 and rod .3010 the frame 10 of the-.lyehicle by means of the pivotal connection 116. Thereafter, a few of the wheel studs 3.8 are removed and the hub plate 32 is secured to the driving wheel 12 by means of the replaced studs 38. The plate 32 is positioned on the driving wheel 12 so that the pivotal connection 40 between the rod 30 and hub plate 32 is approximately in the position shown in Figure 1. As shown. in Figure 1, the spur 22 may be partially embedded in the ground or the like by manual manipulation. When power from the main power plant of the vehicle is applied to the driving wheel 12 to rotate the same in the direction of the arcuate arrows so as to move the vehicle in the direction of the longitudinal arrows, the driving wheel and hence the secured hub plate will rotate. Upon rotation of the driving wheel the mechanism will assume the position as shown in Figure 2. Thus, the rotation of the driving wheel 12 will pull the rod rearwardly a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the hub plate 32. As the rod 32 is moved rearwardly, the upper portion of the anchor link 20 and the lower portion of link 14 will be pulled rearwardly to assume the position as shown in Figure 2. As the pivotal connection to the frame 16 is fixed, and as the spur 22 is firmly anchored in the ground surface or the like, the vehicle will be moved forwardly by an amount substantially equal to the diameter of the hub plate 32. After the vehicle and mechanism assume the position as shown in Figure 2, if the driving wheel 12 has not obtained sufiicient traction the forward motion of the vehicle will end oflink 14. forwardly Figure 3 shows a rotation of the driving wheel of approximately 270 from that shown in Figure l and thus rshowslhe position of the anchor-link;20.'as it isaremoved from the ground. An additional 90 rotation ofqthe necessary traction for the driving wheel.

After .the vehicle has been pulled forwardly by the above-described step-by-step movement to aposition t sound traction for the driving wheels, the operator may :then remove the'three stud bolts 38 to remove the plate 32 from the wheel 12 and remove the pivotal connection 16 from the frame to :thus remove the entire mechanism from the vehicle. Thereafter, it is only necessary to again replace the studs 38 and re-mount the hub cap. The entire mechanism which includes the hub plate 32, reciprocating rod 30,.links 14,20, pivotal connection 18, spur 22 and. pivotal connection 16 may be stored in any suitable manner in the body of the vehicle until the use of the mechanism is again required.

If both driving wheels have lost traction, it may be necessary to attach a similar mechanism described above to each driving wheel. .I have found from experience, however, that when a self-propelled vehicle is immobilized it is usually because of lossof traction of only one driving wheel, and the application of my mechanism to one driving wheel which has lost traction will, in the majority of instances, be sufficient to move the entire vehicle to a position Where sufiicient traction can again be obtained.

It will be understood that the mechanism disclosed in the drawing and described hereinabove illustrates my invention in its simplest form and many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the basic invention intended to be protected by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: i

1. An attachment mechanism for removing a selfpropelled vehicle having a driving wheel from mud, snow and the like comprising a first anchor link having upper and lower ends, means for pivotally securing the upperend of said first link to the vehicle, a second anchor link having upper and lower ends, a rod, means for pivotally and such movement will draw' I the spur, 22 from its anchoredv position. in the ground.

securing one'end of said 'rod toeach of said links and for securing the upper ,end of said second link .to the lower end of said first link, and means connecting the driving wheel with the other end-of said rod for reciprocating said rod.

2. The mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further including a ground-engaging spur member pivotally connected to the lower endof said second anchor link.

3. An attachment .mechanism for removinga selfpropelled vehicle having a driving wheel from mud, snow and the like comprising a first anchor link having upper and lower ends, means for pivotally securing the upper end of said first link to the vehicle, a second anchor link havingupper and lowerendsja r'od, means for pivotally securing one end of said rod to each of said links and for securing the upper end ofsaid' second link to the lower end of said first link, and means for securing the other end of said rod to the driving wheel eccentrically thereof so that rotation of the .wheel will reciprocate said rod.

4. The mechanism as set forth in claim 3 further including a ground-engaging spur member pivotally connected to the lowerend of said second anchor link.

5. A mechanism for removing a selfpropelled vehicle from mud, .snow and the like comprising, in combination,

-a vehicle having a driving wheel, a first anchor link having upper and lower ends, means for pivotally securing the upper end of said first link to said vehicle, a second anchor link having upper and lower ends, a rod, means for pivotally securing-one end of said rod to each of said links and for securing-the upper end of said second link to the lower end of said first link, a hub plate, means for securing said hub plate to said driving wheel for rotation therewith, and means for securing the other end of said rod to said plate eccentrically thereof so that rotation of said Wheel will reciprocate said rod.

6. The mechanism as set forth in claim 5 further including a ground-engaging spur member pivotally connectedto the lower end of said second anchor link.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lynn May 31, 1870 

